I am attempting to enable a light switch in a bedroom that had the wiring but had no ceiling light fixture and no switch (just a blank plate). However, I am running into an issue and I want to seek some help from those more experienced.
In the ceiling I have 5 wires – 2 white, 2 black, 1 red (and, of course ground). In the switch box there is a cable that goes up to the ceiling that has 1 white, 1 black and 1 red. There is also another cable that goes down to an outlet. It has 1 black and 1 white. Currently the red is capped off, the two black wires are joined and two white wires are joined together.
I wired the switch by creating a rabbits ear for the black and connected it to switch. I created a rabbits ear for white and connected it to the switch.
In the ceiling I added the white cable of the light to the grouping of 2 white cables and did the same for the black cables. The light was on but would trip the breaker within seconds.
I am using a single-pole Lutron switch.
Best Answer
You have a new-style switch loop -- the current (2014) NEC now requires switch loops to have a neutral, not just a hot and a switched. Switch the black and red wires on the light, and the white and red wires on the switch -- this means the light goes to red and white, and the switch goes to black and red, with the white wire in the switch box capped off with a wirenut.
(The reasoning behind the new requirement is to allow future timers, dimmers, and other such "smart" switching devices to be designed in a more sane manner where they can draw power for their own operation in a normal way, instead of trying to turn their load on slightly at all times or sending that working current back through the equipment grounding system.)